Posted: September 1st, 2010 - 2:24pm
by Ben Chapman
Author:
Ben Chapman
I've lived in North Carolina for just over 20 months and have yet to see the effects of a hurricane. Snow has shut things down in Raleigh a few times since December 2008, but nothing crazy has happened during the summer months. Our power went out about a month ago after a fire at a nearby power station and although it was 8:30pm, it only took 3 hours without electricity for the temperature in our house to go up about 5 or 6 degrees.
Living like that for a couple of days is a slight possibility with Hurricane Earl on its way sort of towards us. Fortuntely we're far enough inland that it looks like we wont see the full effect, but many on the coast could find themselves without electricity, dealing with hot temps (close to 100F is forecasted for Friday) and a fridge/freezer full of food. Not fun.
Having a bit of a plan and prepping for losing power prior to an event can save food losses and reduce foodborne illness risks. That's the focus of the newest food safety infosheet (which can be found here).
Advertising Age reports the American Egg Board has taken out full-page ads in major newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today to try and tamper down rising fears around America's favorite breakfast food.
The ads call attention to the fact that "the potentially affected eggs, which make up less than 1% of all U.S. eggs, have been removed from store shelves" and end with the reminder that "thoroughly cooked means thoroughly safe." Consumers are driven from the print ads to a website, eggsafety.org.
What the ads do not talk about is risks of cross-contamination, as anyone who has cracked an egg into a bowl knows about.
Kevin Burkum, senior VP-marketing for the American Egg Board, told Ad Age the messages are "aimed at educating consumers on the safety of eggs and how to properly cook them." He added that the organization is also looking at expanding the print campaign to radio and digital efforts to get the message out.
As soon as any group talks about educating consumers, they’ve given up.
Instead, the egg folks should treat consumers like they may have a few functioning neurons, talk about salmonella testing data and sell safety directly to consumers at retail.
When John Lennon heard in 1967 that one of his former schools was making students deconstruct the lyrics to songs by the Beatles, he responded by writing the most nonsensical song he could come up with, combining the lyrics of 3 previously unfinished songs – two written on acid trips – and stated at the time about the result, I Am the Walrus, “Let the fu**ers work that one out.”
The Eggman in the song apparently referred to The Animals lead singer, Eric Burdon, who had a fondness for breaking eggs over the bodies of naked women.
This trivia is as useful as most of the information surrounding the salmonella-in-eggs outbreak that has sickened a thousand Americans.
There are hints of information but most public commenters are using the outbreak for political or legal opportunism.
Today’s USA Today reports that state and federal health agencies identified an Iowa egg company as a likely source of illness at least two weeks before the firm launched a massive egg recall Aug. 13 and the public got its first hint of a growing national salmonella outbreak.
In late July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even considered reminding the public generally about the dangers of eating undercooked eggs, said Ian Williams, chief of the agency's outbreak response branch. The CDC decided it would be more effective to wait until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed its investigation of the firm, Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa.
By late July, the California and Minnesota state health departments had identified several small restaurant outbreaks of salmonella with eggs as a likely culprit — and Wright County Egg as a common supplier, Williams said.
The FDA didn't contact Wright County Egg until Aug. 10 and didn't provide detailed information until Aug. 12, company spokeswoman Hinda Mitchell said. The recall decision was made after discussion with FDA officials the next morning, she said.
Jeff Farrar, FDA associate commissioner for food protection, said Wednesday that his agency was aware of the states' findings in late July but needed to obtain detailed copies of invoices and other paperwork to further confirm that Wright County Egg was the supplier.
CNN also reports this morning the state of California believes it has identified its earliest cases related to the salmonella recall, and says its investigation helped tip off the rest of the country to the source of the problem.
On May 28 and 29, several people became sick after attending either a prom or a graduation party in Clara County, according to Joy Alexiou, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. Tests on some of the victims, including a catering worker who nibbled on the food, determined that the culprit was salmonella, she said.
Three months later the state is bragging?
Sherri McGarry, a director at the F.D.A.’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, told the N.Y. Times last week the Hillandale recall was prompted when Minnesota officials traced a cluster of illnesses in that state to the eggs from the company’s Iowa plants.
Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota health department, said seven people had become ill with salmonella in mid-May after eating chile rellenos at a Mexican restaurant called Mi Rancho in Bemidji, Minn. He said that investigators established a connection to Hillandale eggs on May 24.
It was not clear why the F.D.A. did not act on the information sooner.
Why didn’t Minnesota go public if it had information that could limit future illnesses?
FDA and other federal agencies do themselves a tremendous disservice by failing to clearly articulate how and when the public (and industry) should be informed about potential health risks. No amount of federal legislation or lawsuits will fix this. Instead it requires a recommitment to having fewer people barf. And any company that wants to lead – especially with profits – will stop hiding behind the cloak of government inspection and will make test results public, market food safety at retail so consumers can choose, and if people get sick from your product, will be the first to tell the public.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the popularity of cooking shows, the eat-local movement and the growth of casual-dining restaurants are reshaping consumers' views of what makes food look appealing. Where making food look perfect was once a primary task of food stylists and photographers, the new challenge is making messy food look appetizing.
Alison Attenborough, a New York-based food stylist who specializes in editorial work for clients, says, "People are interested in small butchers, artisan producers, farmer's markets—a more handmade look."
At a recent Food & Wine photo shoot, Ms. Attenborough was making recipes by celebrity chef Tyler Florence for the magazine's October issue. She carefully assembled a cheeseburger so that the bacon and red onions would look like they were erupting from the bun. With a heat gun, she melted the cheese to make a corner of the slice dribble down. For a scallop appetizer, Ms. Attenborough intentionally left one fleck of parsley on the table, as if the cook had just finished applying the garnish and hadn't bothered to clean up.
Whether for editorial or advertising purposes, the point of making natural food look appealing is to get people to buy the product, go out to eat or make a recipe.
Brian Wansink, director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, says the effectiveness of the natural trend lies in its ability to invite the viewer in. "It might enable us more to put ourselves in the picture," he says.
I told a state-sponsored jazz radio station yesterday (NPR) and a few dozen other media outlets yesterday that as someone who shops a lot for groceries, I’d be really interested in eggs that were verified through some kind of testing to be salmonella-free. Or reduced levels. Anything but the marketing crap that currently dominates the nation’s grocery shelves.
People are clamoring for local, natural, sustainable eggs in the wake of a 500 million egg recall that has sickened about 1,000 Americans with salmonella, yet there is absolutely no evidence that other eggs have lower levels of salmonella.
Buying preferences may help some folks feel superior, but salmonella happens – and it happens a lot. So why is there not a single retailer who will demand salmonella testing and market those results at retail?
As a consumer, I’m helpless in my choices for reduced-salmonella eggs, unless I buy pasteurized eggs, and even they are not fail-safe. I spend a lot of money at the grocery store feeding the herd of children I seem to have accumulated – why can’t someone give me some microbiological data on which to make a purchasing decision? Having more government inspectors does nothing to assuage my food safety doubts.
Marketing food safety at retail has the additional benefit of enhancing a food safety culture within an organization – if we’re boasting about this stuff I guess we really better wash our hands and keep the poop out of food. Maintaining a food safety culture means that operators and staff know the risks associated with the products or meals they produce, know why managing the risks is important, and effectively manage those risks in a demonstrable way. In an organization with a good food safety culture, individuals are expected to enact practices that represent the shared value system and point out where others may fail. By using a variety of tools, consequences and incentives, businesses can demonstrate to their staff and customers that they are aware of current food safety issues, that they can learn from others’ mistakes, and that food safety is important within the organization.
In the egg fiasco, no one is stepping up and saying, we know about salmonella, this is how we go above and beyond the minimal requirements of government, and this is why you should buy my eggs.
Audrey Kreske, an N.C. State post-doc writes of a food safety blunder on morning television:
Today's Today Show featured a segment with Martha Stewart discussing her top 50 tips for creating a kitchen that's “not only beautiful but functional as well”. Viewers were definitely waiting with pens in their hands to discover the Domestic Diva’s secrets.
Some of the household tips included: how to avoid breaking dishes while washing them; putting liquid soap in easy-to-use decanters; and the essential nature of multiple little dishtowels.
Fascinating.
Then things got weird (see the video below, beginning at 3:55). Martha got a bit wacky with the eggs.
In attempt to show how nice eggs look on the counter as a decoration accessory, the Diva points to eggs in a basket and says, “We're having a big problem with eggs so everybody better be very careful where their eggs come from. But organically grown eggs from the farm, you can keep out for a few days on the counter”
Matt Lauer, somewhat taken aback by the statement chimed in and asked “Oh really, that's not a problem?”
Martha said, “Oh, no, no; not if they're fresh”
The big problem Martha refers to is the over 1300 Salmonella Enteriditis illnesses linked to egg and egg products that have led to a recall of almost half a billion eggs.
The problem that Martha misses is that it doesn’t matter where eggs come from or the production practice, there is still a risk of Salmonella Enteriditis being present. Contamination comes from the environment, humans or rodents; multiplies within the flock; and, an infected hen can result in the pathogen inside the egg (infection occurs in the ovary).What is problematic about the pathogen is that while it may infect a hen or group of hens, it typically does not create any clinical signs. If Salmonella is in an egg sitting on the counter, even if Martha says it's okay, the bacterium can grow and create a larger issue.
According to a 2005 USDA risk assessment, approximately 1 in 20,000 contains Salmonella; even if they appear to be clean and uncracked.
The best available evidence suggests that eggs should be stored in the refrigerator/cooler and held below 45°F. The U.S FDA recommends buying eggs only if sold from a refrigerator or refrigerated case, checking that the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked, and, refrigerating promptly to prevent egg-related illness.
Cooking is a valid control measure, Eggs can carry Salmonella and need to be cooked to 145°F for 15 seconds to reduce risk.
Audrey Kreske is a post doctoral researcher in the department of 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences at N.C. State and avid Today Show viewer.
New Zealand chef Peta Mathias has been criticized for the flashy jewelry she wears during her TV show, with critics saying the rings and other jewellery would never be tolerated in a commercial kitchen because of the bacteria that gathers underneath.
Food writer and columnist Julie Biuso said people had been talking about Mathias' rings for years, adding,
"There's a grubby look about it. It's an act. She dresses up with all the jewellery ... possibly she cooks like that at home. Of course, she's over the top, she's way over the top. But people love to criticise. She's doing it her own way. If you don't like it, switch off."
Biuso said Mathias would never be allowed to wear her rings while cooking in a commercial kitchen.
AUT senior lecturer in food safety Suzanne Bliss said Mathias' rings were possibly sending the wrong message to the public and young people in the food industry.
But it was a TV show and, for that reason, hosts had licence to go outside the normal boundaries of food hygiene.
Mathiasen, L.A., Chapman, B.J., Lacroix, B.J. and Powell, D.A. 2004. Spot the mistake: Television cooking shows as a source of food safety information, Food Protection Trends 24(5): 328-334.
Consumers receive information on food preparation from a variety of sources. Numerous studies conducted over the past six years demonstrate that television is one of the primary sources for North Americans. This research reports on an examination and categorization of messages that television food and cooking programs provide to viewers about preparing food safely. During June 2002 and 2003, television food and cooking programs were recorded and reviewed, using a defined list of food safety practices based on criteria established by Food Safety Network researchers. Most surveyed programs were shown on Food Network Canada, a specialty cable channel. On average, 30 percent of the programs viewed were produced in Canada, with the remainder produced in the United States or United Kingdom. Sixty hours of content analysis revealed that the programs contained a total of 916 poor food-handling incidents. When negative food handling behaviors were compared to positive food handling behaviors, it was found that for each positive food handling behavior observed, 13 negative behaviors were observed. Common food safety errors included a lack of hand washing, cross-contamination and time-temperature violations. While television food and cooking programs are an entertainment source, there is an opportunity to improve their content so as to promote safe food handling.
The reporters at the Rockford Register Star in Illinois probably meant well, with a feature about the important role of local food inspectors, but they sorta ruin it by beginning the story with:
If you haven’t grown it, cleaned it and cooked your food yourself, you’re eating at your own risk.
It is entirely possible to grow food, and clean it and cook it all by yourself – and completely mess things up and make people barf.
Back to the story, Winnebago County Health Department sanitarians Gail Goldman and Karen Hobbs and four colleagues work to cut the risk of foodborne illness by checking out more than 1,600 establishments such as restaurants, grocery stores, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, gas stations, concession stands and other places offering food and drinks for public consumption.
In 2009, the Health Department’s sanitarians performed 5,109 inspections the most important part of which, Goldman and Hobbs said, was education.
Hobbs said the last thing that made her think she has seen everything on the job was “a towel used to wipe a cutting board and then used to wipe a face. There was quite a bit of education going on that day.”
"If we look at the past decade, we can see a change in the epidemiology of food-borne disease, more specifically within the category of ready-to-eat foods. Part of the problem is that ready-to-eat foods are supposed to be ready to eat, so unlike poultry and your beef and your eggs, with salads and sprouts there is no cooking and so no pathogen-killing step. … Organisms like E. coli and salmonella that used to be associated solely with poultry and beef are now almost as frequently associated with leafy green vegetables. That is a tremendous shift from 20 years ago."
Christina Hilliard, a fresh fruit and produce specialist with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said,
"Twenty-five years ago we weren't even thinking about lettuce in terms of food safety, even five years ago we didn't think that someone could die from eating spinach.”
Allen's research at UBC is dedicated to minimizing the presence of E. coli in cattle with an eye to stopping the pathogen's spread through the food chain.
I was always more of a brown-bagger when it came to lunch. The high school cafeteria food was gross – although I did have a penchant for their ham and cheese melts on some sort of white wallpaper bun – but cost was the primary factor. Why would anyone pay for stuff that could be made at home for nothing when parental-types bought the food.
That was in Canada. The U.S. school lunch program is a little different.
And now the lunch ladies are developing their culinary skills to go along with the demand for so-called healthier foods.
Dawn Cordova, a longtime school cafeteria worker attending Denver Public Schools' first "scratch cooking" training this summer, told Associated Press,
"It's more work to cook from scratch, no doubt."
Cordova and about 40 other Denver lunch ladies spent three weeks mastering knife skills, baking and chopping fruits and vegetables for some of the school district's first salad bars.
Denver is among countless school systems in at least 24 states working to revive proper cooking techniques in its food service staff.
The city issued its 600 or so cafeteria employees white chefs' coats and hats and plans to have all its kitchen staff trained in basic knife skills within three years.
Well-known area chefs visit for primers on food safety, chopping technique and making healthy food more appetizing to young diners (hint: kids prefer veggies cut into funky shapes, not boring carrot sticks).
Chefs say that schools embraced processed food so completely that many newer cafeterias lack the basics of a production kitchen, such as produce sinks, oven hoods or enough cold storage to keep meat and produce fresh.
No mention of microbial food safety, but with all the extra kitchen prep, the risk potential increases, especially with cross-contamination. Here’s hoping they master the basics unlike the TV cooks who routinely serve up microbiological disasters.
The ads call attention to the fact that "the potentially affected eggs, which make up less than 1% of all U.S. eggs, have been removed from store shelves" and end with the reminder that "thoroughly cooked means thoroughly safe." Consumers are driven from the print ads to a website, eggsafety.org.
previously unfinished songs – two written on acid trips – and stated at the time about the result, 
Sherri McGarry, a director at the F.D.A.’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, told the 
once a primary task of food stylists and photographers, the new challenge is making messy food look appetizing..jpg)
really interested in eggs that were verified through some kind of testing to be salmonella-free. Or reduced levels. Anything but the marketing crap that currently dominates the nation’s grocery shelves..jpeg)
jewellery would never be tolerated in a commercial kitchen because of the bacteria that gathers underneath..jpg)
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It is entirely possible to grow food, and clean it and cook it all by yourself – and completely mess things up and make people barf..jpg)
University of British Columbia food scientist Kevin Allen told the .jpg)
eating spinach.”
would anyone pay for stuff that could be made at home for nothing when parental-types bought the food..jpeg)
shapes, not boring carrot sticks).